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Autism Vox

Seven Responses to Autism’s Parent Trap

by Kristina Chew, PhD on June 6th, 2006

Here are seven letters—all from autism parents—in response to Cammie McGovern’s June 5th New York Times op-ed, Autism’s Parent Trap. I include excerpts below.

  1. Linda H. Davis (mother of 20-year-old): “Even if I could turn Randy into a “real boy,” I would not.”
  2. Robert J. Schmoldt (father of 4-year-old): “We will continue to be determined and undaunted parents, even as I am reminded to be balanced and pragmatic.”
  3. J. B. Handley (of Generation Rescue) (father of 3-year-old): “At the most recent Defeat Autism Now! conference in Washington, recovered children were featured on stage and filmed for the world to see.”
  4. Barbara Coccodrilli Carlson (mother of 16-year-old): “Government and philanthropy, take note: It is a whole lot easier to accept the absence of a “cure” when you know that your child will be embraced by others, despite his differences.”
  5. Charles A. Amenta III (parent): “As the physician-parent of a person with autism, I feel a triple stress: dealing with a difficult child; feeling a professional defeat, as your own efforts at “cure” are failing; and feeling alienated from other parents because of the almost universal antagonism toward standard medicine by the autism parent community.”
  6. W. David Jenkinson (father of 28-year-old): “I guess what I am trying to say is that the problem does not just disappear when the child reaches age 22.”
  7. Kitty Prendergast (mother of 9-year-old): “I agree with Cammie McGovern that total recovery is not a realistic goal, but parents should never give up hope or stop trying to make their kids better. And yes, do enjoy their “quirky ways.”

POSTED IN: Adulthood, Diagnosis, Family, Treatment

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